New funding for eco-friendly farm buildings

22:12:20 29th December 2009

Farmers are to be given financial aid by the government in order to improve the energy efficiency of their agricultural buildings.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs hopes that £4 million of funding will help the UK's agricultural sector to slash the carbon footprint of its farm buildings by 25,000 tonnes per year.

Environment secretary Hilary Benn explained that the interest-free loans will be provided by the Carbon Trust from February 1st 2010.

Farmers will be able to apply for between £3,000 and £20,000 in unsecured funding - the loans are designed to pay for themselves in energy savings over a period of up to four years.

Mr Benn said: "It makes sense for farmers to reduce the energy they use.

"It reduces the cost of producing food, and it cuts the environmental impact, too - something more and more consumers are asking about. But the up-front costs can be prohibitive."

Earlier this month, the government announced new funding for farmers in Cumbria to help them get back on their feet following the recent flooding and replace any agricultural buildings which may have been damaged as a result.

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